Review of Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour

Guest post: Stephanie Tran

Synopsis: After being entrusted with her brother’s Los Angeles apartment for the summer as a graduation gift, Emi Price isn’t sure how to fulfil his one condition: that something great take place there while he’s gone. Emi may be a talented young production designer, already beginning to thrive in the competitive film industry, but she still feels like an average teen, floundering when it comes to romance. But when she and her best friend, Charlotte, discover a mysterious letter at the estate sale of a Hollywood film legend, Emi must move beyond the walls of her carefully crafted world to chase down the loose ends of a movie icon’s hidden life, leading her to uncover a decades’ old secret and the potential for something truly epic: love.

This is such an adorable and diverse contemporary and for so long I’ve put off reading it because I thought it was about something else. When I started it (due to some encouragement from friends), I realised it was completely different to what I thought and I began to love it. I actually think I got it confused with another book.

I love Emi, the main character, and the relationships she has with everyone. She was a sweet person and looked for the best in people, and gave them second chances (okay more than that). Emi follows her dreams and her instincts, allowing her to open doors to new opportunities. This is something that I want to do one day, to be able to follow my heart despite everyone else’s thoughts and opinions. Emi has such a strong friendship with Charlotte, her best friend, and it so refreshing and wonderful to see female friendships in YA. A lot of YA show poor female friendships, so this was definitely nice to read.

The story picks up when Emi makes it her mission to deliver an unsent letter. And though to us it may seem impossible, to Emi it is a dream come true. Through this mission her talent for set design improves and her relationships with people grow stronger. Her brother had told Emi to do something amazing with his house while he was gone, and what Emi does is definitely worth remembering and more than amazing.

I thought that because I didn’t know anything about movies or set design, Everything Leads To You would bore me or make me confused. But it didn’t. Emi’s talent for set design makes her character unique and stand out from the other characters I’ve read before, and the movie-buff in her didn’t overwhelm me. Her favourite movies were well-described. I think the story was well thought out and written. Nina LaCour’s writing is beautiful and easy to read. And there is diversity too, which is always good.

At times, I felt the arguments between Emi and Ava were petty, and that they were being too dramatic. But that’s just me I guess. I love how we were able to get a small insight into the movie industry. I didn’t realise how much preparation and thought is put into movies. Everything Leads To You definitely made me appreciate movies more and ALL the people involved in the making of them. The cover is gorgeous too! I especially love the typography and the way it’s positioned.

The ending was beautiful and wraps everything up so nicely. I’d definitely reread this book if I got the chance, or to get me out of a slump. I really adored this book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, cute, contemporary read.

Stephanie Tran (aka @literaryreads) is an 18 year old Australian bibliophile who dreams of travelling the world. She enjoys reading novels and aims to read a variety of genres. Her favourite genres are: Fantasy, Contemporary, YA, Dystopian and Historical Fiction and any diverse book. Besides reading, she also loves to listen to music, write stories, daydream and swim during summer.